Team GB Speedo athletes - (L-R) Matt Richards, Duncan Scott, Tom Dean, Adam Peaty

Paris 2024 Olympic Swimming Preview - questions, key events, and top swimmers

With the start of the 2024 Paris Olympics only a few days away, large contingents of the world’s audiences and media will be turning their attention to the action in the Paris La Défense arena for the next instalment of Olympic swimming history. A rich source of drama and stories and sporting greatness over the years, and the 2024 Games is shaping up to be no different. From the resurgence of Adam Peaty and Caleb Dressel to the possible dominance of Leon Marchand. From the swansong for Florent Manaudou to the record chasing Katie Ledecky and the question of just how fast will David Popovici go? Some of the stories, questions and the stiff competition promise to make these games one of the most unpredictable swim meets of recent years.

Team USA Speedo athletes - (L-R) Caeleb Dressel, Abbey Weitzeil, Regan Smith, Ryan Murphy

Will Team USA dominance continue?

One of the most prominent questions is the strength of the United States at these games. The US has been the most dominant nation in the pool, topping the swimming medal table at every Olympics since the 1988 Olympics in Seoul. They have had numerous superstars in that time - Ryan Lochte, Nathan Adrian, Dara Torres and Natalie Coughlin have all won multiple medals with Michael Phelps leading the way with 28 Olympic medals, 23 of them Gold. But recently the rest of the world has caught up. Multiple challengers from different nations could spoil American success stories, but strength in depth should stand them in good stead for the relays. Australia seeks to spoil their party with Cate Campbell recently saying that Americans are “sore losers” and “if I hear Star Spangled Banner again in my lifetime it will be too soon.” Statements like this are not new in swimming - one of the biggest swimming rivalries of recent years was between Michael Phelps of America and Ian Thorpe of Australia. Thorpe doubted Phelps could win 7 gold medals at one Olympics. Phelps kept a picture of Thorpe in his locker as motivation. At the next Olympics in Beijing Phelps won 8 gold medals. If history has taught us anything annoying the Americans doesn’t end well. We will have to see what happens in Paris. America has medal chances with Caleb Dressel, Ryan Murphy, Katie Ledecky and the new Women’s 100m Butterfly world record holder from US trials, Gretchen Walsh. Individual medals might be more spread out, and with stiff competition in the relays anything is possible.

Team France arena athlete Florent Manaudou

Perfect send-off and a new beginning - French past and future

Every athlete dreams of a home Olympics. The French swimmers could have one of their strongest showings for their superstars or the perfect ending their retiring athletes. Leon Marchand has lit up the swimming world in recent years, dominating the NCAA circuit in America setting a slew of records. Most significantly he broke Michael Phelps’ long standing world record in the 400m Individual Medley at the 2023 World Championships. He is expected to further lower this record and to be a medal hopeful in Breaststroke, Butterfly and also the 200m Individual Medley, however, the British pair of Duncan Scott and Tom Dean will provide tough competition. Being only 22 this is his chance to really solidify himself as a swimming superstar for the future at his home Olympics. At the other end of the spectrum, we have Florent Manaudou at his fourth Olympic Games. He won the 50m Freestyle at the London 2012 Olympics and since then, he has been a regular on the medal podium in the event at major championships including the last three Olympics. Look out for the limited edition Fireflow and Boa coloured arena Primo suits he will be wearing. You can see the full Limited Edtion Fireflow Olympic colourway at SwimPath. With this almost certainly his last Olympics he will be keen to perform well but will face stiff opposition from a revitalised Caleb Dressel and a very impressive Ben Proud and Cameron McEvoy. The 50m Freestyle really can go anywhere so we will just have to see.

Team Romania arena athlete David Popovici

David Popovici - first of many?

One of the most hotly contested events at any major championship is the Men’s 200m Freestyle. The world record has stood since 2009 and this year is going to be the most competitive and fastest swim since that world record. David Popovici of Romania is the favourite with the fastest time in the world this year. A prominent arena athlete wearing the Carbon Core FX, Carbon Air 2 and the Primo at different points in his career and now wearing the brand-new Cobra Edge goggles. See the full arena range on the SwimPath website. Lukas Märtens of Germany along with Danas Rapsys of Lithuania, both arena athletes will be threats, along with the British swimmers Matt Richards and Duncan Scott beating 2021 Olympic champion Tom Dean at the British Trials - this means the 200m Freestyle will be hotly contested. The British swimmers are Speedo athletes wearing the Pure Intent & Pure Valor suits and Hyper Elite, Pure Focus and Speed Socket 2 goggles in a variety of colours available on the SwimPath website. The relay is expected to go to the British quartet, with their four swimmers all in the top 10 world rankings for 200m Freestyle with no other country having more than one. The British quartet might challenge the world record.

Team Canada Funkita athlete Summer McIntosh

Women's 400m Freestyle - ones to watch

Another story that could further develop at these Games is the Women’s 400m Freestyle, with Katie Ledecky, Arianne Titmus and Summer McIntosh favourites for this event. They have been exchanging the world record over recent years, with Titmus winning gold in Tokyo. There is likely more to come from 17-year-old McIntosh - you can see her wearing the Funkita Game On collection on the SwimPath website. Ledecky will be looking to add to her vast medal collection in the 1500m, 800m, 400m and 200m Freestyle events. While the 1500m and 800m are expected to go to the American Ledecky, the 400m is well up for grabs.

Team GB Speedo athlete Adam Peaty

Three-Peat?

The Men’s 100m Breaststroke has been dominated by Adam Peaty since the World Championships in 2015 in Kazan, regularly chipping away at his own world record. Since the 2021 Olympics, injuries and distractions out of the pool led to questions about his form however a world leading 57.94s at the British trials and winning the 2023 World Championships event made him the favourite for the gold in Paris, which would be his third in the event. Peaty is expected to go head-to-head with Qin Haiyang of China, who is Peaty’s toughest competition in the event and it will be fascinating to see who gets the gold. Both are wearing Speedo race suits in new colours available on the SwimPath website. 

There will be numerous other fascinating and dramatic stories to come from the swimming in Paris with unexpected medallists. The time for speculation and predictions is over, the time for racing is upon us, we will have to see what happens.